Filner warns of SD budget deficit

Former mayor had projected a small surplus

“Obviously, the budget is the constraint on all policies. I would hope my priorities don’t change,” he said. “It depends on how the deficits change.”

Fresh from his 20 year-stint in Congress, Filner said he is more worried about the city’s finances than he is the potential for automatic federal tax increases and budget cuts, known as the “fiscal cliff,” that begin Jan. 1 if Congress and the president don’t reach a solution. Many believe the nation could fall into a recession or worse if an agreement is not reached.

“I’m not particularly worried about the budget situation at the national level,” he said.

Before he left office, former Mayor Jerry Sanders had projected a $5 million surplus for the coming fiscal year, beginning July 1. After the election, the city’s independent budget analyst, Andrea Tevlin, issued a report saying the city could face a deficit as high as $84 million if finances take a bad turn and leaders address infrastructure and public safety needs.

Sanders’ office said at the time that the analyst’s review didn’t reveal anything new about the problems facing the city, only their price tag. Then-mayoral spokesman Darren Pudgil said the city had built up reserves to $166 million that the next mayor and council could tap.